Connecting apparatus in fuel cell system and fuel cell system including the connecting apparatus
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsJin S. HEO, Takami Higashi, Dong-kwan Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A connecting apparatus in a fuel cell system and a fuel cell system including the connecting apparatus include a pipe module and a controller controlling the operation of the pipe module. The pipe module includes a first valve connecting a fuel processor and an anode of a stack, a second valve connecting an automatic drain and a heat exchanger, and a check valve connecting the anode of the stack and the heat exchanger.
Claims19
A connecting apparatus to connect a fuel processor and a stack in a fuel cell system that comprises the fuel processor, the stack, an automatic drain, and a heat exchanger, the connecting apparatus comprising:
- a pipe module, comprising:
- a first valve having a first inlet connected to the fuel processor, a first outlet connected to an inlet of an anode of the stack, and a second outlet, wherein the first outlet opens and closes,
- a second valve having a second inlet connected to the second outlet of the first valve, a third outlet connected to the automatic drain, and a fourth outlet connected to the heat exchanger, wherein the fourth outlet opens and closes, and
- a check valve having a third inlet connected to an outlet of the anode of the stack and a fifth outlet connected to the heat exchanger, the check valve controlling flow from the third inlet to the fifth outlet;
- and
- a controller to control the operation of the pipe module.
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel processor to reform an input gas to a reformed gas comprising hydrogen gas;
- a stack to receive the reformed gas from the fuel processor and to generate electricity from the reformed gas;
- an automatic drain to remove water contained in the reformed gas;
- and
- a heat exchanger to decrease the temperature of a gas supplied from the stack to the fuel processor to remove moisture contained in the gas;
- a pipe module comprising a plurality of valves, the pipe module connecting the fuel processor, the stack, the automatic drain, and the heat exchanger via the plurality of valves;
- and
- a controller to control the operation of the pipe module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.